Nygreen-Johnson Scholarship

The official description of this scholarship in the Honor Roll of Scholarships reads as follows: “Two sisters, Maria Nygreen and Anne Johnson, left this endowed scholarship as part of their legacy to CLU for students of good academic standing who need financial assistance.”

While there is little personal information about the Nygreen-Johnson Scholarship, it holds the proud position of being one of the college’s first academic awards to become endowed. It is part of CLU’s earliest history.

The first gift on record from sisters Maria Nygreen and Anne Johnson was made in 1967. Both women lived in Los Angeles and were likely part of the Swedish community there. Their initial gift came as a grant from the Nygreen Foundation with the promise of regular semiannual payments over a period of twelve years.

The gift came from proceeds of the sale of a small industrial property transferred to the Nygreen Foundation in 1967. The major portion of the proceeds went to California Lutheran College and the remainder went to the Board of American Missions of the Lutheran Church in America.

As is often the case, it was the people behind the scenes who played a key role in making this scholarship happen. CLU records reveal the names of C.A.L. Anderson, tax accountant and advisor to the two women; foundation trustees Arnold Johnson Carl Segerhammar and Walter Danielson; and John Nordberg, CLC’s vice president for development. All of these individuals contributed to the scholarship’s unusual arrangements.

The two sisters’ intent seems clear—to help young people gain a quality education at an institution that espoused Christian values. The sisters named two criteria—good academic performance and financial need—as the basis for selection and requested no public recognition of their gift. Perhaps that explains why there is so little personal information in CLU records for the Nygreen-Johnson Scholarship. Since its inception, this award has quietly blessed the lives of countless students, much as the sisters intended.